Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on integrating universal credit with eligibility criteria for services provided by the NHS.

The Department of Health has been part of ongoing discussions with the Department for Work and Pensions, and other Government departments, on the best approach for enabling those in receipt of Universal Credit to receive entitlement to passported benefits. It has been agreed that a system of earnings thresholds will be introduced as claimant numbers expand to ensure that these benefits continue to be targeted at those who need them most.